Aspirants chasing government job opportunities often experience profound frustration when administrative processes encounter sudden roadblocks. A similar situation erupted on Thursday night inside the Reserve Police Line in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. Candidates participating in the homeguard recruitment drive staged a vociferous protest after alleging widespread irregularities and monetary extortion during the mandatory medical examination phase. The simmering anger over alleged bribery demands for clearing the physical fitness assessment prompted law enforcement officials to intervene swiftly and restore order on the premises.
Candidates Raise Objections Over Mass Medical Rejections
The medical screening for homeguard applicants commenced on Thursday morning within the grounds of the Reserve Police Line, drawing around 200 hopeful candidates. As the examinations progressed, several participants began raising serious questions regarding the fairness of the evaluation procedure. Candidates claimed they were being declared medically unfit on minor pretexts, such as having a deviated nasal septum or weak eyesight. Protesters alleged that clearing the medical test was contingent upon paying illegal gratification, and those who refused to shell out money were deliberately failed. According to the agitating candidates, approximately 70 individuals were marked unfit through this biased process, though the veracity of these claims and the actual medical outcomes remain subject to official verification.
Allegations of Extortion via Chits and Parked Vehicles
Amidst the growing uproar, candidates leveled specific accusations detailing how the alleged extortion racket operated during the medical evaluation. They stated that during the screening, certain applicants were handed small chits of paper bearing mobile numbers and instructed to contact the listed individual. Protesters claimed that an acquaintance of Dr. Praveen was seated inside a car parked near the edge of the police line grounds, allegedly managing the financial transactions. While investigators are yet to confirm the exact number of individuals who paid bribes or identify all participants in the alleged network, police have initiated rigorous questioning to uncover the truth behind these claims.
Protests Intensify Into Physical Altercation by Nightfall
The discontent surrounding the recruitment process boiled over into a full-scale protest around eight o'clock on Thursday night. Enraged by the alleged corruption, a group of candidates pulled a young man sitting inside the doctor's car out of the vehicle and manhandled him. Slogans echoed through the police line campus as demonstrators demanded absolute transparency in the recruitment drive and an independent probe into the corruption allegations. The sudden escalation caught authorities off guard as tensions reached a tipping point.
Senior Police Officials Intervene to Pacify Crowds
Upon receiving word of the escalating chaos, high-ranking police officials including ACP Kotwali Amit Kumar Pandey and ACP Colonelganj Anjana Dahia rushed to the location. The officers engaged with the protesting aspirants, patiently listening to their grievances and gathering firsthand accounts of the incident. While a section of the candidates insisted that roughly 25 people had paid money to secure a fit status, others maintained they had refused similar demands. Authorities assured the gathering that a thorough inquiry would be conducted into all aspects of the recruitment screening.
Doctor and Associate Detained for Questioning
Taking cognizance of the gravity of the situation, law enforcement authorities detained Dr. Praveen along with another individual in connection with the uproar. Both are currently undergoing questioning as investigators scrutinize the medical evaluation protocols, the criteria used to reject candidates, and the alleged financial kickbacks. Police stated that formal conclusions regarding anyone's culpability will be established only after the comprehensive inquiry concludes.
